Supportive Communities Network - SCN

SCN is a program of the Brethren Mennonite Council for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Interests. It is a network of Mennonite and Church of the Brethren communities who are publically affirming of gay, lesbian, transgender, and bisexual members. For more information, contact Carol Wise at the BMC office or email bmc@bmclgbt.org .

Why SCN? | How to Join | SCN Resources | Find an SCN Community

SCN Goals

To offer support, resources and opportunities for dialogue among congregations which welcome gay, lesbian, transgender, and bisexual members;
To encourage meaningful dialogue at the denominational level;
To offer support and resources for individuals who are working toward welcome.

SCN Conferences

Conferences provide an opportunity for supportive communities and friends to come together for netwoking, education, advocacy, worship, sharing stories and fun.

Dialogue With the Church

SCN is present at church conferences and other church events, creating opportunities for dialogue and advocating for the inclusion of gay and lesbian people.

Why Should Your Community be Publically Affirming and Join SCN?

Because it matters. The sad reality is that the Church of the Brethren and The Mennonite Church actively discriminate against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (lgbt) people in their institutional practices and are often not very welcoming institutions. This makes the church a potentially harmful place for lgbt people. Many lgbt people assume that a Brethren or Mennonite congregation or community is not supportive or safe unless they specifically hear otherwise.

“Coming out” as publicly affirming identifies the community as a “safe space” for lgbt individuals and their families. It provides lgbt people and the people who love them with some assurance that they will not be subjected to overt harm. It is an act of solidarity with the lgbt community.

Being publicly affirming suggests that the community has educated itself about issues of sexuality, so that an openly lgbt person knows that they will not suddenly become a topic of controversy and discussion or that their presence in the congregation or community will suddenly become questioned.

Being publicly affirming indicates to questioning or struggling youth that the church or community is a place where it is safe to discuss issues related to sexual identity. This is very important as lgbt youth have a statistically higher incidence of suicide because of their lack of mentors and support.

Being publicly affirming shifts the onus of responsibility for explaining their position away from the lgbt community and onto those who would challenge the inclusion of lgbt people in the community.

Being publicly affirming indicates a concern about the Church of the Brethren and the Mennonite Church. The level of hostility and fear that the church frequently exhibits towards lgbt people damages and diminishes the soul of the institution. Dissenting from the church’s fear and rejection of lgbt people is an act of faithfulness and hope because it witnesses to a more loving way of being church together.

Being publicly affirming is a symbolic act of prophetic witness to the Church of the Brethren and the Mennonite Church and to the broader community, indicating a commitment to justice, hospitality, and the dignity of each human individual.

Being publicly affirming connects a community with other communities that are serious about welcome, creating a network of support and encouragement.

/\ top of page

How to Join SCN

If your community is interested in becoming publically affirming and a member of SCN, contact Carol Wise, SCN Coordinator, at bmc@bmclgbt.org.

Most congregations and communities engage in a process of education and discernment prior to joining SCN. Resources and counsel are available through the BMC office, and congregations are encouraged to make use of these resources. Communities who join SCN are asked to make a public statement of their support and complete the SCN application form.

The SCN Application form is available for download as a Microsoft Word document and Acrobat PDF format.

SCN Form (doc)

SCN Form (pdf)

SCN Resources

These are Word documents. If you would like this information in another format, please contact the BMC office at bmc@bmclgbt.org.

Worship Resources (doc)

Video Resources (doc)

SCN Bibibliography (doc)

/\ top of page

List of Current Members

CANADA

Alberta

Calgary Inter-Mennonite Church
1308 Edmonton Trail NE
Calgary, AB T2E 3K7
403.230.2962
www.cimchurch.org
church@cimchurch.org
January 1997

Manitoba

Hope Mennonite Church

222 Furby Street

Winnipeg, MB R3C 2A7

204.786.5077

www.hopemennonite.ca

office@hopemennonite.ca

February 2013

Newfoundland and Labrador

Mennonite House Church in St. John's
c/o Wendolyn Schlamp
3 Park Place
St. John's, NL A1C 6B2
www.stjohnsmennonites.blogspot.com
wendolynschlamp@hotmail.com
March 2005

Ontario

Parent's Group

c/o Rebecca and Victor Fast

1151 Ivanhill Rd

London, ON N6H 4C2

rvfast@rogers.com

August 2007

UNITED STATES

California

First Mennonite Church
290 Dolores Street
San Francisco, CA 94103-2262
415.552.5275
www.menno.org
fmcsf@aol.com
October 1995

La Verne Church of the Brethren
2425 E St
La Verne, CA 91750-4994
909.593.1364
www.lavernecob.org
susan@lavernecob.org
May 1995

Modesto Church of the Brethren

2301 Woodland Ave

Modesto, CA 95358

209.523.1438

www.modcob.org

info@modcob.org

January 2013

San Diego Church of the Brethren
3850 Westgate Pl
San Diego, CA 92105-5199
619.262.1988
www.sdbrethrenchurch.org
pastor@sdbrethrenchurch.org
January 2004

Colorado

Arvada Mennonite Church
5927 Miller St
Arvada, CO 80004-4717
303.424.6261
arvada.co.us.mennonite.net
arvadamennonite1@yahoo.com
May 1995

Boulder Mennonite Church
3910 Table Mesa Dr.
Boulder, CO 80305-5468
303.443.3889
www.bouldermennonite.org
info@bouldermennonite.org
July 1996

Fort Collins Mennonite Fellowship
300 E. Oak St.
Fort Collins, CO 80524-2915
970.224.4106
www.fortnet.org/fcmf
revjborg@juno.com
July 1999

Koinonia Church
730 - 25 RD
Grand Junction, CO 81501
970.242.3947

www.koinoniagj.org
koinonia@bresnan.net
July 1999

Spirit of Joy Fellowship COB
5927 Miller Street
Arvada, CO 80004
303.424.6261
arvada.co.us.mennonite.net
lshenefelt@wideopenwest.com
February 1995

Georgia

Atlanta Mennonite Fellowship

1718 Arrowhead Trail NE

Atlanta,GA 30345

404.840.3781

www.atlantamennonite.org

amf@atlantamennonite.org

January 2013

Illinois

Chicago Community Mennonite Church
425 S Central Park Ave
Chicago, IL 60624
773.826.0442
www.chicagocommunitymennonite.org/
meganramer@yahoo.com
December 1995

Evanston Mennonite Church
1010 Greenleaf
Evanston, IL 60202
708.864.3954
http://evanston.il.us.mennonite.net

mcb9476@comcast.net
January 2006

First Church of the Brethren
2115 Yale Boulevard
Springfield, IL 62703
217.523.5212
www.1stcob.net
a.krall@gte.net
July 2004

First Mennonite Church / Champaign-Urbana

902 West Springfield Avenue

Urbana, IL 61801

217.367.5353

www.fmc-cu.org

office@fmc-cu.org

January 2011

Highland Avenue Church of the Brethren

783 W. Highland Avenue

Elgin, IL 60123

847.741.5124

http://www.hacob.org/

hacob@ameritech.net

July 2009

York Center Church of the Brethren

15071 Luther Ave

Lombard, IL 60148

630.627.7411

http://www.yccob.org/

February 2008

Indiana

Assembly Mennonite Church
1201 S 11th St
Goshen, IN 46526-4509
574.534.4190
www.assemblymennonite.org
assemblymenn@juno.com
March 2011 (Inclusion Team March 2005)

Beacon Heights Church of the Brethren

2810 Beacon Street

Fort Wayne, IN 46805

260.482.8595

beaconheights.net

office@beaconheights.net

March 2008

Christian Community
704 W. Oakdale Dr.
Fort Wayne, IN 46807
419.872.7448
dadoftia@aol.com
December 2004

Common Spirit Church of the Brethren

12856 N 325 E Lot 9

North Manchester, IN 46962

katpik@aol.com

April 2013

Goshen Area Connecting Families
1568 Redbud Ct
Goshen, IN 46526
574.533.5837
rliechty@juno.com
June 2005

Goshen City Church of the Brethren

203 North 5th Street
Goshen, Indiana 46528-3263

574.533.1884

http://www.goshencitychurch.org/

office@goshencitychurch.org

November 2011

Manchester Church of the Brethren
PO Box 349
North Manchester, IN 46962-0349
219.982.7523
www.manchestercob.net
manchestercob@hoosierlink.net
May 1997

Northview Church of the Brethren

5555 E 46th St.

Indianapolis, IN 46226

317.547.7293

www.northviewcob.org

office@northviewcob.org

June 2012

Prince of Peace Church of the Brethren

53105 N Ironwood Road

South Bend, IN 46635

574.272.5234

www.princeofpeacesb.org

princeofpeace@ameritech.net

February 2013

Richmond Church of the Brethren

1 SW 17th St.

Richmond, IN 47374

765.966.1930

www.richmondcob.org

info@richmondcob.org

December 2011

Southside Mennonite Fellowship

140 W Mishawaka Road

Elkhart, IN 46517

574.293.2825

www.southside.in.us.mennonite.net

SSFElkhart@gmail.com

September 2012

Iowa

Ames Mennonite Church
PO Box 1752
Ames, IA 50010-1752
515.382.3223
allanbeatty@murraystate.alumniconnections.com
November 1994

Kansas

McPherson Church of the Brethren

200 N. Carrie St.

McPherson, KS 67460-3775

620.241.1109

www.macbrethren.org

maccob@macbrethren.org

May 2013

Peace Mennonite Church
615 Lincoln St
Lawrence, KS 66044
785.841.8614
peace.ks.us.mennonite.net
peacemennonite@gmail.com
June 2001

Rainbow Mennonite Church
1444 Southwest Blvd
Kansas City, KS 66103-1829
913.236.8820
www.rainbowmennonite.org
office@rainbowmennonite.org
April 1996

Seekers Sunday School Class
Bethel College Mennonite Church
2600 College Ave, Box 364
North Newton, KS 67117
316.283.3667
bcmc.ks.us.mennonite.net/Home
office.bcmc@sbcglobal.net
November 2002

Maryland

Columbia United Christian Church
5885 Robert Oliver Place
Columbia, MD 21045
410.730.1770
http://www.cucc-md.org/
admin@cucc-md.org
May 2002

Dundalk Church of the Brethren
2660 Yorkway
Baltimore, MD 21222-4432
410.284.7081
dundalklcob@hotmail.com
December 1995

Hyattsville Mennonite Church

4217 East-West Highway
Hyattsville, MD 20782
301.927.7327

http://www.hyattsvillemennonite.org/

clapp@hyattsvillemennonite.org

September 2011

Massachusetts

Mennonite Congregation of Boston
1555 Massachusetts Ave.
Cambridge, MA 02138-2903
617.868.7784
congregationofboston.ma.us.mennonite.net
biedrzycki@mindspring.com
March 1995

Michigan

Lansing First Church of the Brethren
3020 S Washington Ave
Lansing, MI 48910-2957
517.882.0811
www.cob-net.org/church/lansing
smithbuckwalter@prodigy.net
October 1997

Skyridge Church of the Brethren
394 S Drake Rd
Kalamazoo, MI 49009-1100
269.375.3939
www.skyridge.org
office@skyridge.org
April 1995

Minnesota

Common Spirit Church of the Brethren
4223 Fremont Ave N
Minneapolis, MN 55412
612.724.0264
Bpetry@girlscoutsmpls.org
December 2005

Faith Mennonite Church
2720 E 22nd St
Minneapolis, MN 55406-1315
612.375.9483
www.faithmennonite.org
faithmc@faithmennonite.org
December 2003

Open Circle Church of the Brethren
2400 Highland Dr
Burnsville, MN 55337-2068
612.808.0161
www.opencirclechurch.com
jhsteele58@frontiernet.net
December 2003

Saint Paul Mennonite Fellowship
622 Bidwell St
Saint Paul, MN 55107-3610
612.291.0647
spmf.mennolink.org
spmennonite@hotmail.com
April 1994

New Jersey

Alpha Mennonite Church

901 East Blvd.

Alpha, NJ 08865

908.454.8345

www.alphamenno.com

alphamennonite@ptd.net

May 2012

New York

Manhattan Mennonite Fellowship

314 E 19th Street

New York, NY 10003

212.673.7970

www.manhattanmennonite.org

pastor@manhattanmennonite.org

February 2008

Ohio

Living Peace Church of the Brethren

2309 Summit View Road

Columbus, OH 43065

www.livingpeacecob.org

info@livingpeacecob.org

June 2011

Oregon

Eugene Mennonite Church

3590 W. 18th Ave.

Eugene, OR 97402-3114

541.343.9548

www.eugenemennonite.org

peaceofeugene@gmail.com

May 2013

Peace Church of the Brethren
12727 SE Market St.
Portland, OR 97233-1244
503.254.6380
www.peacecob.org
peacecob@3dwave.com
March 1995

Springfield Church of the Brethren
1072 Main St
Springfield, OR 97477-4818
541.746.2278
www.efn.org/~spfldcob
spfldcob@efn.org
April 1995

Pennsylvania

Germantown Mennonite Church
21 W Washington Ln
Philadelphia, PA 19144-2601
215.843.5599
www.germantownmennonite.org
office@germantownmennonite.org
May 1998

LGBT Welcome Group at Perkasie Mennonite

320 W. Chestnut St.

Perkasie, PA 18944

www.perkmenno.net

info@perkmenno.net

December 2011

Stone Church of the Brethren

1623 Monre St.

Huntingdon, PA16652

814.643.3390

www.huntingdonstonechurch.org

stonechurch@verizon.net